[FVC]: What would you put in a Bundle Kit?

Other FIRST Tech Challenge
1

The FVC bundle kit is a bargain, and I’m not complaining about the price or the components. But I think there are ways to make it even more useful to a startup team.

First, I would take out the extra transmitter – with only 3 motors, one seems like plenty, and if you get a bundle kit 2 years in a row, you have 4 transmitters, which is really overkill (while 2 kits for a team is NOT overkill). By the time you add in the extra motors, gears, metal, etc. that would justify a second transmitter, you might as well buy another starter kit, which would give an extra microcontroller, adding flexibility – it could be used for a second robot while students are in the learning stage. During competition, the small kit could be cannibalized for parts.

I would use the savings on the transmitter to add in:

an extra motor (or 2)
a gear kit (or 2)
a few more 12" square bars (in addition to the extra metal already included)
a few more 15" angle bars
a few more shaft collars
an extra PWM extension cable (or 2)
a pair of omniwheels

In addition to the bundle kit, I have a wishlist for Vexlabs to market:

  1. A variety pack of PWM cables (one each of 6", 12", 18" and 24"). As it is, you have to buy 4-packs of all the same length.
  2. Separate battery packs for 7.2 v or 9.6 v (able to buy, say the 7.2 v pack only) without the charger. Batteries tend to die more quickly than chargers, and a 2nd battery is essential if you don’t want to wait 2 hours every time it runs down.
  3. FVC compliant nylon rope (I know it’s a little thing, but I’ve had a hard time finding it at local stores, and it would be nice to add it to the shopping cart along with non-skid material to save time).

What would you add?

2

You can purchase the 7.2V battery by itself for around $20, but you cannot get the 9.6V by itself.

3

I would add several pieces of 1x2x35 C-Channel (and about a zillion other things too).

Blake

4

i would like to add Y-cable and take out programming kit because we have a loaded of them however we needed only one. this is because my teacher bought the programming kits and we regestered for four robots with FVC and got four more. grh to much. we could use tank tread more productively. yes, may more of the nylon rope.

5

I’d like to buy the extra metal ect at a special price without the starter kit, as we have plenty of them.

Jon T
Team 3543

6

Instead of buying the bundle package. I would go on ebay and buy the materials, often for half price.

7

Wow! I oughta scroll down to the “news” section more often. The Tri-pack bundle looks like a good deal, too.